Improvement in curtain-cord racks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. LUDLOW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CURTAIN-CORD RACKS.

' of the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented a new and Improved Shade- Uord Rack for holding and operating the cords by which Window-shades are raised and lowered; and I do hereby declare that the follow# ing is a full and exact description thereof, ret'- erence being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in making an adjustable spring holder or rack for the cords of window-shades which will always hold them taut without subjecting the cords to unnecessary strain.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In my drawing hereunto attached I have represented a frame, D D, and slide A similar to those in ordinary use, to which I add a movable notched or perforated plate, B B, operating on a spring, C, and I attach to the slide A the foot or pawl A', which engages in the teeth of the plate B B. The sli'deAhas suffi cient play on the frame D D to allow the pawl A to slip over the teeth in plate B B, so that the slide A may be pulled down and adjusted to the stretching of the cord. When the cord is bearing on the spring C the point of the pawl A is always held firmly in the teeth of plate B B, and the slide A cannot slip up but when the cord is removed from the pulley on the slide A the point of the pawl A will rise over the teeth in plate B B, and the slide A may then beadjusted to the shortening of the cord. Thus it is evident that the slide A may readily be adjusted to the lengthening and shortening of the cord, and whatever position the slide A may occupy the cord is always subjected to a uniform strain, and that strain is never more than the strength of the spring C. The heel of `the plate B B turns up at Bl and engages above the corners of the frame D D, which, at this point, are bent downward to prevent the plate B B from dropping out, and the tongue E is cut from the bottom of the frame D D and turned upward to prevent the spring C from slipping out at the top.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i The dat plate B, having the stamped notches upon its upper surface, sliding freely in the case D D, and held in position by the singlefooted holder A A and spring C, when all are combined to operate substantially as set forth.

WVM. D. LUDLOW.

Witnesses:

W. H. MACOMEER, HEART. 

